Ingrid Goes West

In this indie satire about social media obsession, Ingrid (Aubrey Plaza) crashes a wedding and attacks the bride who, it turns out, she has never actually met except through virtual interactions. This lands Ingrid in the psych ward, but after being released back out in the world she returns to social-media-stalking, latching on to Los Angeles Instagram celeb Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen), a new-agey vegan whose posts are sunny and upbeat. Ingrid uses inheritance money to fly from Pennsylvania to insinuate herself in Taylor's well-manicured and obsessively-posted life. Plaza plays Ingrid with a mix of neediness, loneliness, and desperation—a truly damaged person who is so eager to be a part of the life reflected in Facebook posts that she adopts the interests and mannerisms of her obsession. O'Shea Jackson Jr. is Ingrid's likably nerdy landlord Dan, who falls for the quirky Ingrid, but she is too socially obsessed to notice his genuine affection and she abuses his friendship in order to further her relationship to Taylor (which is built on a series of lies). Behind the humor here lies a timely portrait of an empty vessel who subscribes to the fantasy of purportedly perfect lives presented on social media while neglecting genuine human connection. Recommended. [Extras include audio commentary by director/co-writer Matt Spicer, co-writer David Branson Smith, and star Aubrey Plaza, and deleted scenes (8 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a winning indie film.] (S. Axmaker)